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Policy advisor vs senior specialist

The differences between policy advisors and senior specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a policy advisor has an average salary of $98,220, which is higher than the $92,360 average annual salary of a senior specialist.

The top three skills for a policy advisor include public policy, policy issues and policy development. The most important skills for a senior specialist are customer service, patients, and SR.

Policy advisor vs senior specialist overview

Policy AdvisorSenior Specialist
Yearly salary$98,220$92,360
Hourly rate$47.22$44.40
Growth rate11%10%
Number of jobs39,65980,308
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4444
Years of experience--

What does a policy advisor do?

Policy advisors are professionals who are involved in activities related to policymaking while communicating with policy analysts about various issues. These advisors must assist policy analysts in creating policies and look at ways to implement them after they have been approved by upper management or government officials. They must analyze international and foreign policy issues so that they can devise effective advocacy and program strategies. Policy advisors must also attend congressional hearings to propose regulations and changes to existing regulations.

What does a senior specialist do?

A senior specialist is a financial professional responsible for assisting senior citizens in managing their economic activities. Senior specialists must manage a portfolio of investors to ensure that foreclosed properties are ready for title transfer and monetary reimbursements. To reach compliance goals, senior specialists must provide staff training on Microsoft Office suite and other software applications. They also handle customer complaints through phone or email and provide their customer with the proper solution.

Policy advisor vs senior specialist salary

Policy advisors and senior specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Policy AdvisorSenior Specialist
Average salary$98,220$92,360
Salary rangeBetween $67,000 And $141,000Between $63,000 And $134,000
Highest paying CityBoston, MASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsCalifornia
Best paying companyNAICCheniere Energy
Best paying industryGovernmentPharmaceutical

Differences between policy advisor and senior specialist education

There are a few differences between a policy advisor and a senior specialist in terms of educational background:

Policy AdvisorSenior Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorPolitical ScienceBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaWestern Carolina University

Policy advisor vs senior specialist demographics

Here are the differences between policy advisors' and senior specialists' demographics:

Policy AdvisorSenior Specialist
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 59.7% Female, 40.3%Male, 51.4% Female, 48.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between policy advisor and senior specialist duties and responsibilities

Policy advisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage all issues relate to high quality survey administration including training and approval/certification, performance oversight and data collection.
  • Work over the phone troubleshooting wireless devices, mobile and computers including windows and macs.
  • Facilitate and participate in departmental policy meetings concerning healthcare, Medicaid, social services, telemedicine, grant opportunities and budgeting.
  • Construct business system infrastructure providing the pathway to grow executive, mid-management, and customer facing staff for management consulting firm.
  • Serve as a principle author and key personnel on the successful $25 million DHS contract proposal.
  • Provide technical advice on Medicare including, payment and reimbursement models, and statutory requirements.

Senior specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage the JSC QMS system.
  • Lead special projects, train and mentore lean sigma teams.
  • Manage capacity planning activities for UAT and production environment.
  • Manage coordination, implementation and installation of next generation telemarketing system, an nt-base, client server environment.
  • Assist in the setup of the Documentum ACLs for WPS & QA and WPS, such that duplication doesn't occur.
  • Maintain awareness of HIPAA, SOX, GLB and other regulatory statues ensuring compliance within the work group.
    • Show more

Policy advisor vs senior specialist skills

Common policy advisor skills
  • Public Policy, 10%
  • Policy Issues, 8%
  • Policy Development, 8%
  • Policy Recommendations, 5%
  • Policy Analysis, 4%
  • Government Officials, 4%
Common senior specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Patients, 9%
  • SR, 8%
  • Java, 6%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • PowerPoint, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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